Optimize Your Conversions

“What is the goal or purpose for your website?”

This is usually the first question that we ask a new client we’re meeting with for the first time. We ask this question because we believe that the answer should drive every decision that happens during the rest of the process of building their site. Every bit of copy. Every image element. Every call to action.

Maybe the client is a service-oriented business and the main purpose of the site is to provide validation and brand awareness for their business. Maybe the client is a local brick-and-mortar shop that is looking to sell their products online. Or perhaps the client is a non-profit organization that wants to increase their brand’s visibility and increase online fundraising.

In any of these cases, a clear goal must be established that is strongly supported by the website’s design.

One of the most common goals that our clients possess is for website visitors make contact with them through a simple fillable form.

Here are 5 quick tips to ensure that your website is getting the most out of this crucial element of your website’s success:

1. Keep the form length as short as possible. In other words, only include the minimum number of fields that are required for this step in the process. If your form has too many fields, your website visitors may feel overwhelmed and abandon the process. If you must collect a large amount of data, breaking the form up into easily digestible chunks (or pages) can alleviate this problem. Research has shown that a form with 3 or less fields will be most effective. Once a form gets above 5 fields, the conversion rate drops off pretty significantly.
2. Drop down menus tend to hurt conversion rates more so than any other form element. Instead, present your visitors with a nice set of radio buttons to make their selection.
3. Asking for a visitor’s phone number has been found to decrease conversion rates by around 5%.
4. Label position matters. Labels placed above the fields tend to perform better, for example. Also, left-aligned field labels tend to increase readability over right-alignment.
5. Try to avoid using “Submit” as the word that appears on the submit button. Studies have shown roughly a 3% drop in conversions rates when “Submit” is used. Instead, try using something more descriptive and specific to what the visitor will be getting from clicking that button. For instance, “Get a Free Quote” or “Register Now”.

Making a user-friendly form is just one of the many ways that we can help your website make the most of every website visitor opportunity.

If you’re looking for a fresh perspective on your website (and your company’s overall marketing strategy), contact us below for a free consultation.